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U.S. NEWSThursday 28 January 2016

American Living:

Few neighborhoods affordable, walkable with good schools

live and the homes actu- schools. But a rising em-
phasis on walkability re-
ally available to them. flects a generational shift.
Compared with older gen-
“Cities have not kept up erations, millennials, ages
18 to 34, disproportionate-
with consumer tastes,” ly prefer walking, accord-
ing to a survey released in
said Nela Richardson, Red- July by the National Asso-
ciation of Realtors and the
fin’s chief economist. Transportation Research
and Education Center at
The analysis examined 170 Portland State University.
Nearly a third of millenni-
neighborhoods in 20 cit- als commute to work or
school by foot, compared
ies, comparing home sales with 13 percent for the
post-World War II baby
and income data with boom generation.
The popularity of walkable
rankings from the orga- neighborhoods has led to
higher prices for certain
nizations Walk Score and residential and commer-
cial real estate. A 2012 re-
GreatSchools. Some cities, port by researchers at the
Brookings Institution found
such as Baltimore, Boston higher retail sales and
home values per square
and Philadelphia, con- foot in the most walkable
neighborhoods in Wash-
tained balanced neigh- ington D.C.q

borhoods — where people

of different income classes

could afford to live — but

their schools performed

poorly.

Others, such as Phoenix,

People view the Seattle skyline from the top of the Space Needle in Seattle. Across the country, San Antonio and Colum-
just 14 percent of neighborhoods manage to be at once affordably priced, walkable and near
decent schools. And many of those neighborhoods exist in only two cities: Washington and Se- bus, Ohio, enjoy above-
attle, according to a new analysis released Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, by the real estate broker-
age Redfin. average neighborhood

(Jordan Stead/seattlepi.com via AP) schools. But their commu-

nities pretty much require

cars for doing basic er-

JOSH BOAK and shopping, just steps and near decent schools. rands.
AP Economics Writer from their row houses and And many of those neigh-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Few condo buildings. Home val- borhoods exist in only two Homebuyers have long
neighborhoods can match ues are reasonable relative cities: Washington and Se-
the perks of Adams Morgan to neighborhood incomes. attle, according to a new sought high-quality
in Washington, D.C. — a re- And in general, the area analysis released Wednes-
ality that reflects a broader schools rate as better than day by the real estate bro-
problem for the U.S. hous- average nationally. kerage Redfin.
ing market. Across the country, just 14 The findings suggest a sub-
Residents of Adams Mor- percent of neighborhoods stantial mismatch between
gan enjoy a bevy of bars, manage to be at once af- the neighborhoods where
restaurants, exercise studios fordably priced, walkable people say they want to

Challenger disaster:

Christa McAuliffe’s students go on to teach

KATHY McCORMACK mock trials in class. Hickey ance counselors in the 30
Associated Press remembers how person- years since they and other
CONCORD, New Hampshire able she was, and how she students of all ages nation-
(AP) — Thirty years after the shared her enthusiasm and wide watched with disbe-
Concord High School class experiences when she was lief and horror as the shuttle
of ‘86 watched social stud- in the running to be the first broke apart 73 seconds af-
ies teacher Christa McAu- teacher in space. Hickey, ter liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986,
liffe and six astronauts per- now a junior high physical becoming a generational
ish when the space shuttle education teacher in Bra- touchstone.
Challenger exploded on denton, Florida, just knew “I try to be very mind-
live TV, a number of them McAuliffe would be picked ful,” says Joanne Walton,
have gone into teaching from more than 11,000 ap- who teaches grades four
— and some wonder if, plicants. through six in Fairfax, Virgin-
indirectly, the tragedy af- “As a teacher now, I know ia. She says she sometimes
fected them enough that that I want to show respect goes through a “What
they wanted to make a dif- and show my students that would Christa do?” mantra
ference, as she did. I care,” Hickey says. “I can in her teaching.
One of them, Tammy Hick- say to emulate how she “She knew that teaching
ey, didn’t like social stud- was, would be a service to was way more than just
ies at all, but she enjoyed these kids for sure.” imparting information and
McAuliffe’s law class. Hickey joins a number of that it was really important
McAuliffe took Hickey and members of the class of to know students,” Walton
fellow students to court- ‘86 in Concord who be- says.
rooms and conducted came teachers and guid- Holly Merrow, a math